Latest news, tips and insights from FixMyCar.ke
β οΈ Never Pay to Get a Driving Job Treat any request for money to secure an interview, a job or a "slot" as a reason to stop. Official fees, such as NTSA's PSV badge...
βΉοΈ There Is More Than One Way Into the Trade You can train at a TVET college or national polytechnic or sit NITA trade tests. If you already work as a fundi, you can...
βΉοΈ The Minimum Wage Is a Floor, Not a Market Rate Kenya's 2026 wage order for general employment took effect on 1 May 2026. It sets a legal minimum for each occupati...
β οΈ Flood Water Is More Dangerous Than It Looks Nairobi's flash floods can rise faster than most drivers anticipate. 30cm of moving water can move a small car. 60cm o...
βΉοΈ Red Dust Is Everywhere in Kenya Kenya's red laterite soil β the fine dust that coats everything during the dry season β is more than just a cosmetic nuisance. It...
βΉοΈ Kenya Has Two Dry Seasons Kenya experiences a short dry season from July to September and a longer, hotter dry season from December to March. Both bring intense U...
β οΈ Nairobi's Roads Are Among the Most Damaging in the World for Suspensions The combination of deep potholes, hundreds of speed bumps, murram diversions and flooded...
βΉοΈ Kenya's Long Rains: April to June Kenya's long rains typically run from late March through June, with the heaviest rainfall in April and May. Nairobi's roads floo...
β οΈ Power Steering Failure Makes Driving Dangerous A car without power steering β particularly a heavier SUV or pickup β requires significantly more effort to steer,...
βΉοΈ Preparation Is Everything Most NTSA inspection failures in Kenya are caused by issues that a competent mechanic can identify and fix in advance. A pre-inspection...
βΉοΈ Most Rattles Are Cheap to Fix β If Caught Early The most common causes of rattling under a car in Kenya β loose heat shields, worn anti-roll bar links and exhaust...
βΉοΈ How Much Oil Loss Is Normal? Losing up to 1 litre of oil per 1,000 km is considered acceptable on older high-mileage engines. If your car is consuming significant...
β οΈ Stalling in Nairobi Traffic Is Dangerous A car that stalls at traffic lights β particularly at busy junctions like Globe, Museum Hill or Nyayo β creates a dangero...
β οΈ Do Not Ignore a Burning Smell A burning rubber smell from your car is never normal. It means something is overheating, slipping or making contact that it should n...
β οΈ A Slipping Clutch Gets Worse β Not Better Unlike some car problems that stay stable, a slipping clutch deteriorates progressively. What starts as occasional slip...
βΉοΈ Car Heaters Matter More in Kenya Than You Think Nairobi sits at 1,700 metres above sea level. Nights in Karen, Gigiri, Runda, Limuru and the Ngong Hills regularly...
β οΈ Nairobi Roads Are Hard on Suspensions Nairobi's potholes, unmarked speed bumps and rough murram roads put suspension components under stress that would take years...
βΉοΈ Hard Shifting vs Difficult Shifting β Know the Difference Gear changes that require more effort than usual but go in cleanly point to the clutch or gear linkage....
βΉοΈ Rough Idle vs Shaking β Know the Difference A slight vibration that is barely noticeable is a rough idle β common on high-mileage engines and usually a maintenanc...
βΉοΈ A Flat Battery Is a Symptom, Not Always the Problem Replacing a battery that keeps dying without finding the cause is a waste of money. In Kenya, a repeatedly fla...
βΉοΈ Not All Squeaking Is Dangerous β But Some Is A brief squeak on the first few stops of the morning is usually harmless surface rust. A persistent squeal every time...
β οΈ Do Not Ignore Gear Slipping A slipping automatic gearbox that is ignored gets significantly worse over time. What starts as occasional slipping can progress to co...
βΉοΈ The Colour Is Your First Clue Blue smoke, white smoke and black smoke from your exhaust each point to completely different problems with very different repair cos...
βΉοΈ Not Always an Emergency β But Never Ignore It The check engine light covers everything from a loose fuel cap (Ksh 0 to fix) to a failing catalytic converter (Ksh...